The family behind Calla Lily Formals was already in the dress business when its high school customers started complaining. Their earlier boutique, Isoke Couture, opened in 2005, and the girls who shopped there kept saying the same thing: St. Louis had no exclusive prom styles. The answer was Boutique Calla Lily, launched in the Delmar Loop. After years of outgrowing that intimate space, the company opened a second location under a new name, Calla Lily Formals & Prom Dresses, in a historic showroom on Olive Street downtown.
Three women run it. Loretta Netterville Waheed, Dalila Waheed Spencer and Mariama Waheed, a mother-and-daughter trio who call themselves "The Ladies of Calla Lily," come from a long line of fashion entrepreneurs. The About page describes the shop as women-led, Black-owned and fashion-driven, and says the three guide each client from the first consultation to the final look. Mariama also writes for the store's blog, where trend posts have covered evening wear and the shoes to pair with a new gown.
A prom appointment, step by step
Calla Lily is open by appointment only, and the booking menu has some personality. Prom shoppers reserve the "Hey Girl Heyyy" Prom Dress Appointment, homecoming shoppers book "Crown Me," and the "Sassy But Classy" slot covers other occasion wear. Each visit follows the same pattern.
- Book online. Every shopper books her own appointment, though friends can reserve the same date and time if slots are open.
- Wait for the confirmation email. If it never arrives, contact the shop, because the appointment may not be secured.
- Arrive with up to two guests and the right undergarments, which are required for trying on gowns.
- Spend 45 minutes in a private fitting room with a stylist who helps with fit, sizing, styling and availability.
A credit card holds every confirmed slot. It is charged only for a cancellation inside 24 hours or a missed appointment, at $35. Same-day requests go by phone, and because the shop runs strictly on appointments, a voicemail and a callback are normal.
More than the dress
The shop's most distinctive project is The Lily Club, a community for high school girls that runs on applications, with the 2026 to 2027 class now open. Members get exclusive events, photoshoots and content days, early access to select collections and a hand in planning events for girls in their community. The application asks about school involvement, accomplishments and what confidence means to each girl. The line the store uses to explain the club also explains the whole business.
Because the girl wearing the dress is always more important than the dress itself.
That philosophy shows up in the buying. Current listings feature Sherri Hill, Jovani and its JVN line, and Clarisse, with homecoming styles posted from roughly $275 to $750. The Spring/Summer 2026 collection leans on flowing satins, airy chiffons, sheer overlays and 3D florals in pastels, botanical prints, metallics and jewel tones, chosen to work for proms, homecoming courts and formal dances as well as weddings and galas. The blog sets the goal as a shop where the racks feel edited instead of overwhelming and a best friend can make an afternoon of it. The site's title also lists tuxedo rentals, so a date's look can be sorted at the same address.
A recent post on that blog announces a new chapter for the store, one that is more fashion-forward and more experiential, with attention to the music playing when you walk in, the way dresses are merchandised and the photo you take in the mirror. It even asks shoppers to think of the stylists as fashion therapists who will narrow the field, say what works and push you to try the dress you dismissed at first glance. When you have already scrolled past a thousand gowns online, that kind of direct opinion is the point of the visit.
Downtown, not a mall
The showroom sits on Olive Street in the Balmer & Weber Music House Co. Building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. It is a few blocks from the 8th & Pine MetroLink station, so city students can arrive by train. Prom shoppers can come in from schools across the city and inner suburbs, from Metro Academic and Classical High School and Central Visual and Performing Arts High School to Kirkwood High School, Webster Groves High School and Hazelwood Central High School. Families from anywhere in eastern Missouri get a prom trip with a little architecture thrown in.
Booking Calla Lily Formals downtown
Can my friends and I shop together?
Yes, but each shopper books her own 45-minute appointment. Several shoppers can reserve the same date and time, subject to availability, and each may bring two guests.
What happens if I have to cancel?
Cancel at least 24 hours ahead to avoid the $35 fee, which also applies to a missed appointment.